Brahms: Complete Piano Sonatas François-Frédéric Guy

• 1 I. Allegro non troppo (Ma energico) 06:06
• 2 II. Andante con espressione 05:24
• 3 III. Scherzo (Allegro) 03:57
• 4 IV. Finale (Sostenuto - Allegro non troppo e rubato) 11:44
• 5 I. Allegro 11:37
• 6 II. Andante 05:47
• 7 III. Scherzo (Allegro molto e con fuoco) 05:59
• 8 IV. Finale (Allegro con fuoco) 07:11
• 9 I. Allegro maestoso 10:35
• 10 II. Andante (Andante espressivo) 11:31
• 11 III. Scherzo (Allegro energico) 04:40
• 12 IV. Intermezzo (Andante molto) 03:33
• 13 V. Finale (Allegro moderato ma rubato) 07:40
• Total Runtime 01:35:44

Info for Brahms: Complete Piano Sonatas

Brahms is one of François-Frederic Guy’s favourite composer, he has accompanied him all his life, the first work that he performed in public was his First Concerto. The Brahms Project is, above all, conceived as an amorous dictionary of the composer and not an exhaustive complete recording. It is organised around the piano, the veritable common denominator of an original itinerary combining chamber music, the Lied, the concertos and solo piano works. It proposes to take the listener on a journey to the heart of German Romanticism. Far from being presented as distinct bodies covering his entire creative life like Beethoven, Brahms's works with piano turn from sonatas into ballads, from variations into Klavierstücke, and include trios, quartets, quintet and concertos in keeping with his evolution, with form adapting to the novelty and richness of his intoxicating melodic inspiration. This seeming disparity is found in the works' dimensions. The three great, formidable sonatas, along with the two piano concertos are imposing monuments, whereas the Klavierstücke of the last period are presented as confidences, not to say intimate confessions. This piano, in turn abrupt and lilting, melodic and symphonic, is of such boldness and originality that it led Robert Schumann, upon hearing the first sketches of Brahms's sonatas, to hail 'the new prophet of German music!'

François-Frédéric Guy, piano

Francois-Frederic Guy
is regarded as one of the most fascinating pianist of his generation since his career was launched by his debut with orchestre de Paris and Wolfgang Sawallisch in 2000, followed by a Brahms second piano concerto recorded live with LPO and Paavo Berglund…

He worked with worldwide renowned conductors such as Daniel Harding, Philippe Jordan, Esa-Pekka Salonen or Michael Tilsson Thomas.

He’s been working regularly with the Philharmonia Orchestra as well as Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France.

He appeared in prestigious festival such as Lucerne (with Bernard Haitink and LPO), Chopin in Warsaw (with Sinfonia Varsovia), La Roque d’Anthéron ( with orchestra and in recital), Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, Colmar international piano festival..

After his debut recital in the Berlin Philharmonie, the Berliner Morgenpost wrote: Guy is a pianist of astonishing expressiveness, with immaculate pianistic technique...a man of the present even when he plays Schubert....

He made his Proms debut in 2006 with The Philharmonia conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Francois-Frédéric has strong commitment to contemporary music with close links to composers such as Ivan Fedele, Marc Monnet, Gerard Pesson, Bruno Mantovani and Hugues Dufourt who dedicated his masterpiece Erlkönig to him. Most recently Guy performed the world premiere of Bruno Mantovani’s Double Concerto in Porto and Toulouse and Marc Monnet’s new piano cycle En Pieces in Festival Musica in Strasbourg, a work dedicated to him. Recent appearences include Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France with Leon Fleisher, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg with Kazushi Ono,, ...

Francois-Frederic also conducted Beethoven concertos from the piano with Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Lille National Orchestra or Lyric Avignon-Provence Orchestra. Recent recital appearences include Wigmore Hall and Queen Elisabeth Hall in London as well as Spivakov Hall in Moscow.

The Beethoven Project: Francois-Frederic is been embarking in a large-scale Beethoven project on stage and on cd since 2008. His complete concertos with Orchestre Phiharmonique de Radio-France and Philippe Jordan were internationally acclaimed. Among others, BBC Music magazine was saying on his 2nd and 3rd concertos: with warmth and wit, Guy is impressive playing Beethoven.

He played several time the complete 32 sonatas which were recently released on cd by Outhere/Zig-Zag Territoires. Of his opus 7 from Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol 1 Gramophone Magazine said He builds this movement, immense in spiritual scope, into a profoundly stirring edifice.

In 2012, US magazine Fanfare described his playing in Vol 2: If I had to describe Guy’s overall approach, I would say he’s a lyricist, in the best sense of the word. By this, I mean that he goes for the long line, taking phrases in breaths, that correspond to a singer’s cantilena. To the extent possible, Guy overcomes the piano’s inherent inability to produce a true legato the way the human voice, or a string or wind instrument can – connecting one note to the next without space in between…

Finally he’s been performing the complete chamber music for strings and piano by Beethoven with Tedi Papavrami (violin) and Xavier Phillips (cello) since 2012.

Additional highlights of François-Frederic’s 2012-13-14 include concerts with BBC Symphony Orchestra (and Fabien Gabel), Philharmonia Varsovia (and Pablo Gonzalez), Tonhalle Zürich (with Philippe Jordan), Aalborg Symfoniorkester (with Rumon Gamba), and récitals in Paris (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), London (Wigmore Hall) and Bonn (Beethovenfest).

Francois-Frederic is Artist in residency at Metz Arsenal Hall (France).

Booklet for Brahms: Complete Piano Sonatas